Vol. 3, No. 8, August 2007
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The Guest Advocate Juggernaut
Tiger Woods, ROI and Casino Customers
No, I haven’t lost my mind. You probably can’t imagine how these three things relate to one another, but when it comes to the Tiger phenomenon, the connection is very real. And, it offers an important lesson for casino middle managers and their employees.
Let’s start with the money thing. Tiger has spent hundreds of hours practicing to get his game to the level where it is today. Simply put, he is the best. Sports experts predict he will be the first golf pro worth $1 billion. In my book, that’s one amazing ROI.
Why should casino managers care? Because every time an internal improvement program is rolled out to boost customer service and the property’s performance, middle managers always wonder what the casino will get in return for all the hard work they and their employees must endure. They also wonder what’s in it for them and their staff. Any way you spin it, that’s ROI. And all they have to do is look at Tiger Woods to see how to create a strong ROI.
You should know by now from reading my columns that I firmly believe casinos must focus on creating guest advocates to generate growth down the line. Advocacy is the way of the future as far as I’m concerned. Well, Tiger is a fan advocate juggernaut. And his ROI comes from more than lots of practice and his reputation as a fierce competitor. He knows his adoring fan advocates demand the best from him and he gives it to them in spades. I’m convinced that contributes to the driving force that makes him so successful in tournament after tournament.
Casino guests demand an outstanding gaming experience. Give it to them in spades like Tiger and you have your own driving force that will create ever increasing numbers of guest advocates. That will translate into growth and an ROI that can actually be measured. Did I hear someone say job security? Research published by Harvard University found that by tracking customer advocate levels, a business could arrive at a very high correlation to the future growth of the company. Researchers reported a correlation as high as 98 percent. In gaming, I have found it to be in the mid-80s, but that is still an amazing measurement tool. Advocacy has a high, measurable correlation to future growth. And there you have it – an ROI based on proven, definable results.
It all comes down to advocates, and Tiger is the master. He has a system for creating a frenzy of fan advocates. I saw it for myself in July when my family and I attended the inaugural AT&T National golf tournament in Bethesda, Maryland. Tiger Woods sponsored the tournament and it was a grand show. The Tiger phenomenon started on our shuttle ride in from the parking lot. Easily 70 percent of the passengers were talking about Tiger, his game, his new baby, his caddy and the tournament. Wow! I was amazed that people from all ages, ethnicities and social classes were so wrapped up in Tiger.
Later that day when Tiger was on the practice green before his round, people stood five to eight deep just to get a glimpse of him putting. When he was on the driving range, you couldn’t get near the area at all. When Tiger teed off on the first hole, a sea of people swamped both sides of the fairway. As soon as he hit the ball, the human tide rolled down the course toward his ball or to the green to see him putt. Incredible!
I’m sharing this with you because Tiger wasn’t the lead player. He had a terrible first round and people were concerned that he would not make the cut in his own tournament. He finished 12th on Saturday and was doing a little better on Sunday when we were there. The crazy part is that the top players didn’t draw a third of the crowd that Tiger did. So why did the lead player, arguably the best golfer in the world on that day, have a small fraction of the people watching him that Tiger did?
I think the answer is very simple. Tiger has created more fan advocates than any other golf pro playing today.
So what are you and your employees doing at this very moment to create guest advocates? What are you doing to make sure people stand five and eight deep at your tables, even if your property is not the biggest or best in the area? What are you doing to make their gaming experience better today so you can keep the fever going at your property even if the competition wins a few rounds?
Help your casino become a guest advocate juggernaut and the ROI will amaze you. That should make you and your employees very proud.
